Persistent QPR pressure paid dividends after 33 minutes I think we are showing the signs of becoming a very good side. There is an awful long way to go, but this is the sort of way we must continue playing for the rest of the season."Holloway's side came into the game unbeaten at home this season, and it was only in the opening minutes that Plymouth gave any indication that they had the ability to end that record, and the QPR goalkeeper, Chris Day, was never hard-pushed to keep the visitors at bay.Persistent QPR pressure paid dividends after 33 minutes. The Plymouth defender David Worrell fouled Gino Padula on the far side of the penalty area, and veteran striker Kevin Gallen hit an unstoppable low drive past the unsighted Argyle goalkeeper, Luke McCormick.Tony Thorpe doubled QPR's lead in the 72nd minute, latching on to a weak clearance to drive the ball home from 20 yards. And, having given the home supporters just enough time to retake their seats, Marcus Bean put in a terrific cross for Gallen to hit home his second and QPR's third.Queen's Park Rangers 3 Plymouth Argyle 0 Gallen 33, 75, Thorpe 72Half-time: 1-0 Attendance: 17,049. But although Rangers' crushing victory at Loftus Road put them on top and sent Plymouth down to third, behind Barnsley, who beat Tranmere 2-0, Holloway said that League positions are meaningless."It is a waste of time looking at the League table right now," he said. A comprehensive victory was the inevitable result of a commanding display from Queen's Park Rangers yesterday, and it sent Ian Holloway's side to the top of the Second Division. More importantly, the nature of the victory must surely have given QPR a psychological advantage in the title race. "We should have had at least one penalty, but the quality was not there today, so I don't want to make excuses."Norwich City 1 Jarvis 88Watford 2 Fitzgerald 24, Cox pen 81Half-time: 0-1 Attendance: 16,420. Pidgley made further excellent saves, first to deny Ian Henderson a fourth goal in three games and then to keep Huckerby off the scoresheet, before Cox's spot-kick made Norwich's task almost impossible, frantically though the visitors were forced to defend after substitute Jarvis scored with two minutes left."After our great run, I think some of our players thought we had only to turn up to win," Worthington said afterwards. With the exception of a point-blank third-minute header by defender Craig Fleming that Pidgley, on loan from Chelsea, kept out against all expectations, they rarely threatened a first-half goal of their own.By then, Fitzgerald, spotted playing for Ryman League side Northwood Town, had slid home the impressive Lee Cook's low cross to give Watford the advantage. Three times in the first half, the home side had apparently legitimate penalty appeals, but all were turned down by the Kent official, Darren Huckerby landing himself a yellow card for diving in the first instance.Norwich's case for feeling hard done-by, however, was undermined by passing that was often casual, possession being surrendered all too cheaply.
Ray Lewington's neat, well-organised side belied their lowly position in the table by playing some attractive and productive football, 19-year-old striker Scott Fitzgerald giving them a 24th-minute lead before winning a penalty converted by captain Neil Cox 10 minutes from the end.Goalkeeper Lenny Pidgley defied the home side with a sequence of fine saves, but it was a below-par performance from Norwich, whose solitary reply, through 17-year-old Ryan Jarvis's first senior goal, came too late to salvage a point.However, Norwich had some right to claim that referee Steve Bennett had not dealt them a fair hand. Just as the top of the First Division table beckoned, Norwich City's impressive recent form deserted them and Watford brought the Canaries' 100 per cent home record to an end. With none of the other leading sides in action yesterday, a ninth straight home victory for Nigel Worthington's side would have taken them two points ahead of West Bromwich Albion, rewarding the high-quality football that had seen them beaten only once in 12 games since the end of August.But there could be little dispute over the merit of Watford's victory. "I've got to prove to people that I can make the step up," he said, "that I can manage the academy to the levels they're looking for.". Like Eddie Gray, he is another Elland Road caretaker hoping to get his hands on a broom in a full-time capacity. Richards had an extended trial with Birmingham City's youth team when he left school in 1970. "I played a few games, against Wolves, Coventry, West Brom, but basically I wasn't good enough," he reflected.It is to be hoped it will be different for Richards in his extended trial as academy director at Leeds. He was also assistant chief scout at Wolves during Graham Taylor's tenure.In his playing days, he was a striker, mainly for Stourbridge in the old Southern League. That's reflected with the three lads we've got in the first-team squad."It is vital we keep the conveyor belt going For me, the youth systems are the lifeblood at all clubs. And I would expect, with money getting tighter - which it certainly has here - that reliance upon good academies and good people within the academies will become even greater."Richards, a genial 49-year-old native of the Black Country, was head-hunted to work under Brian Kidd at the Leeds academy three years ago. Before that, he worked for three years as head of recruitment at the Blackburn academy that produced Damien Duff and David Dunn. Whether it's been Peter Ridsdale or John McKenzie or the managers, we've had excellent support in our aim to produce players. It has to be a conveyor belt."The conveyor belt has kept working despite a tightening of the financial belt at Elland Road. |
 |
 |
